The words of Jesus . ( Acts 16 v31 )

 The.' Sermon on the Mount', (Matthew 5-7) is admired by so many people and has influenced many,commenting on it William Hendriksen writes,'The  sermon itself is well organized.This is true with respect to all the reported  discourses of our Lord. Let preachers take note of this in making their sermons, Jesus never rambled. He chose a theme. In the present case that theme is obviously''the gospel of the kingdom'' ( 4 v23 ) As we consider the sermon,we can understand and appreciate the words of    those who came to arrest Jesus,and didn't,and when they were asked why they didn't, they  replied,'No one ever spoke like this man'( John 7 v 46 ).His words stopped them in their tracks , literally millions have been stopped in their evil tracks,like the apostle Paul who was blinded by hatred of the man of Galilee ,then Christ broke into his life,,and from that time  on, he who had hated Jesus,loved him and followed Him for the rest of His life. ( Acts 9 v 1 - 10 )  Jesus who is the word, brought  all things  into place, yes He created everything. (John 1 v 3/ Colossians 1 v15- 17/  Hebrews 1 v 2. It was Peter who said to Jesus,''Lord , to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life''.You want eternal life?, listen to what Jesus has to say,and believe in Him as your Saviour and you will have eternal life. 

9

 

The truth. ( Psalm 119 v 105/ 160)

I was listening to a preacher recently and he was speaking on something most people are very familiar with, and yet his application was different.I went to him after he spoke, and said how I appreciated it.Here is the important thing,it was a legitimate application that didn't effect the truth,alas sometimes things can distort  the truth ,imagination is good but it must not in anyway distract from the truth. The vital thing is that truth does not change,no matter who is preaching it,our Saviour pointed to the religious leaders of his day that they nullified the word of God by their traditions.Matthew 15 v 6.The Christian faith is solely based on Gods word,the Catholic church ,have put tradition ,and church teaching on par with the Bible. The result is we have so many add on's,that the truth of scripture is undermined, the result is the truth  becomes null and void.Their was a very important reason why we had the reformation, things were happening that were contrary to Gods word. The cults usually have the Bible plus,and its the plus that takes over,Islam while appearing to honour God teach so much that is contrary to it,saying that the Bible has been corrupted ,which it hasn't .This result of all this is ,men teach and believe lies,they become slaves to lies, and murders of those who hold to the truth of the Bible.The Bible is the only book where we have the truth, of God  and who he is,the only book that reveals who Jesus is ,and the truth of why He died on the cross.

                                                       'Hold fast to God's truth'

A half forgotten dream. ( Hebrews 12 v1 - 3 )

 'Now in safe anchorage',  the  Wild Wood just left outside was miles away,and all that  they had suffered in it, 'a half- forgotten dream'.These are words from the Wind and the Willows, Ratty and Mole had got into difficulties in the Wild Wood ,caught up in a snow storm, they were cold ,wet,and nearing exhaustion. When they by chance stumbled on their friend Mr Badger's home, who brought them into a place of warmth, refreshment and security.  Things had now changed and the difficulties and dangers they had faced where like a,'half forgotten dream'.It reminds me of what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome, a church that would soon experience terrible persecution under the Emperor Nero's rule.Here is what Paul wrote,'I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us'. He also wrote in 2 Corinthians 4 v 17,'For our light  and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all'.It needs to be repeated that as Christians we suffer like anybody else,but it does not stop there,in many countries Christians are being persecuted severely.So the words penned by Paul are an encouragement and reminder that the  rewards of glory will more than compensate for the suffering of this life, those things we have suffered  will be like 'a half- forgotten  dream'.

It is well with my ... ( Matthew 10 v 28 )

 I was watching Joni  Eareckson  Tada  being interviewed by Pastor Chuck Swindoll, it was very moving and as usual I  blubbered.If you do not know who Joni is, she is a Christian lady who through an accident,was paralysed ,she can move her head,and has a degree of movement with her arms, she cant blow her nose,or wipe her tears,she is depending upon  her husband and others for support.She is aged 70,she was 17 when the accident happened, in spite of that  she is a very gifted person,heads up a Christian ministry for disabled people.she sings ,paints,writes books.She spoke of suffering chronic pain,she was very honest in what she said,depending on others and what that meant.What came through was a woman of God who manifested a positive Christlikeness. During the interview she would sing a verse of a hymn,one in particular stood out it was written by Horatio G. Spafford who experienced the lost of his four daughters,when they drowned  at sea.

                                                 ' When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

                                                   When sorrows like sea billows roll;

                                                   Whatever my lot,Thou hast taught me to say,

                                                    It is well with my soul.

                                                    Though Satan should buffet   ,though trials should come,

                                                     Let this blest assurance control,

                                                     That Christ has regarded my helpless estate

                                                     And has shed His own blood for my soul.

                                                               It is well with my soul;

                                                               It is well,it is well with

                                                                       my soul.

                                                  

Contradiction. ( Matthew 7 v 15 - 23)

 Every year in the UK awards are given to people,people from all walks of life, acknowledging their accomplishments  and contributions to society. One young lady an athlete said,'how proud she was',and then she followed it up by saying,,'how humble she was'.One wonders how a person can be proud and  humble at the same time. But the fact is we are all people whose lives often are contradictions, many of the  guards of the concentration camps,were good husbands and good fathers. That nice person in your office may  go home and only God knows what they may be involved in. Judas Iscariot was a disciple of our Lord,but he was thief. It is James in his letter  who writes of those professing Christians who  utter praise to God, but  also curse  their fellow man.. James 3 v 9 - 12.Someone has said that people often are different in the workplace,than what they are at home.I  met a man once,he and another person had just finished an evangelistic meeting,I happened to mentioned I was going to Bible college,and he started running me down, and I mention to him a brother he knew and he spoke very unkindly of him.Seemingly this person was going to be missionary.I still remember with great sadness that mans unkind words and attitude to me a fellow Christian ,and in some sense a stranger , he definitely was ,sad to say  least a contradiction.May God grant us grace to be what we should be,to be as  it says in a song,we are what it says on the tin, what a Christian  should be.

The gift of forgetfulness. (Isaiah 1 v 18 )

As I have grown older I am inclined  to be a bit more forgetful,there are things we never forget,and we will remember them until our dying day.When I was very young my father and mother separated ,and my mother ,sister ,two brothers  and I went to live with my grandmother .I have some memories of my father,and they are all good.Not so, with my sister and two brothers, they had bad memories, and they never forgot those bad memories,and the result was they never really forgive him. I supposed you would say that I was given the gift of  forgetfulness,I always thought kindly on him. It reminds me of what someone said to a person who had hurt them,''I will forgive them ,but I won't forget''.God the great forgiver of peoples sins declares  ,'And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their  sins'.and its not,I will forgive you ,but I won't forget.He does not hold a grudge,unlike us .When we trust Jesus as Saviour the slate is completely  wiped clean,the Psalmist puts it this way,' as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us'', (Psalm 103 v 12)'When they're gone they are gone'.  

                                                    Gone,gone,gone,gone!

                                                    Yes my sins are gone, 

                                                    Now my heart is free,and 

                                                    in my heart a song,

                                                    Buried in the deepest sea, 

                                                    Yes that's good enough for me,

                                                    I shall live eternally,praise God

                                                   my sins are gone.

                                                                  

Go private. ( Matthew 6 v 6 )

 Matthew 5 v 7- 8 reads,' Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you, For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and the who knocks, the door will be opened.'Here are dear Saviour is teaching us about prayer,in chap 6 v 5 - 8, He points out as William Hendriksen points out ,'that the Lord condemn ostentatious praying,that is, having one's private devotions in the most public place, with the intention  of being and honored of people'.I remember when I was in the Territorial army , which was a reserve force for the British army,we went on a training exercise,and we all slept in a large dormitory. I wandered what I should do as regards praying,should I get down at my bed and pray,? I wasn't sure what to do. Well I happened to read Matthew 6 v 6, where we are told, 'But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private', and I did just that. This does not rule out public prayer which is acceptable ,all prayer is acceptable,if it is done in the right spirit,we are not there to impress people, but to seek God.I have digressed  somewhat, but next time we will start to consider Mt 5  v 7-8.

Nothing has changed. ( John 1 v 1- 3 )

 I like watching a who done it mystery movies,it is not very often one really knows who done it. Life is full of many mysteries , one of these is the life force in all of creation. Of course if you don't believe in God, then it is a real mystery.  How did life begin?,it just happened, or else the god evolution did it,or is it a DIY universe?.  How did we end up with such wonderful bodies?,what's holding everything together?,how did gravity come about?,did it create itself?.Is there no answer to all these questions?, yes there is an answer , here it is,'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth', (Genesis 1 v1),you know it makes sense,or maybe you don't,of course it takes a step of faith to do that,without faith you will continue to be in the dark and it will always be a mystery.,a life of scratching head time. It is sad that in this day and age that God is totally absent ,He is not given a mentioned by the gurus of science, I wonder why?. Here is another mystery ,God stepped into this world in the most remarkable way,when Jesus came, into the very world He created ( John 1 v10).and here is the sad thing,they didn't recognize Him, nothing ha changed.

                              

Without Him.

As I was praying the thought came to me ,that without Him  (Jesus),life would just have been an empty nothingness,There is a song written by Connie Smith ,which goes,

                                            Roll back the curtain of memory ow and then,

                                            Show me where you brought me from,

                                            And where I could have been,

                                            I'm so human, and I forget,

                                            So remind me,remind me, dear Lord.

The Israelites in the wilderness so often complained and even wanted to go back to Egypt ( Numbers 14 v1-5){ ,in Egypt they where slaves, in Egypt they where put to hard labour , in Egypt their children where murdered . Again I want to leave you with words from a song,I am not sure who wrote it,but it expresses how I feel.

                                              Without Him I could do nothing,

                                              Without Him I'd surely fail,

                                              Oh, without Him I would be drifting

                                              Like a ship with out a sail

                                              Without Him I would be dying

                                              Without Him  I'd be enslaved,and

                                               without Him my life would be worthless,

                                               But with Jesus, thank God I am saved.

Giving thanks.( Genesis 50 v 19 )

 In Ephesians 5 v 20 we read,' Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ', These were penned by the apostle Paul,and the first we note in this verse ,the word always,This is to be a consistent thing ,always,is that possible?,we all know there are times that would seem impossible.well it is John Stott who points out,'That the grumbling spirit is not compatible with the Holy Spirit'.He does state we cannot praise for what He abominates,he goes on to write,'Of course God's children learn not to argue with God in their suffering,but to trust him,and indeed thank him for his loving providence by which  he can turn even to good purposes ( Roman 8 v28 ),but that is praising God for being God, it is not praising him for evil.'He further writes ,'Our thanksgiving is to be for everything which is consistent  with the loving Fatherhood of God, and the self-revelation he has given us in Jesus Christ,' that does come naturally to us ,it comes from the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit. 5 v 18.

                                             ' Every joy or trial falleth from above,

                                              Traced upon our dial by the sun of love.

                                              We must trust Him fully all for us to do;

                                              They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

                                              Stayed upon Jehovah hearts are fully blest;

                                               Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

                                                          Words Frances R. Havergal.

Children.( Proverbs 22 v 6 )

 I was asked to lead in our local church a time of intercessory  prayer,and one of things I mentioned was for parents and their children. I prayed that they may see their children trusting Jesus as their Saviour, and I added that there was no age limit in coming to Jesus. Yes we must never forget that our children need the Saviour like we do,and that they can  come to Him young as they are,and He will receive them.They like us will receive eternal life and go to heaven, also that child will be saved from many of the pitfalls that many young people fall into as they grow up. Ever child has potential who knows,God may give to you a young Samuel,David,Joseph,or a young Spurgeon ,or Charles Wesley.  Who knows ?,we do our bit as parents,and God will honour that,remember what our dear Saviour said,'' Let the little children come to Me,and do not hinder them,''( Matthew 19 v16)There are awaiting them so many things that can hinder them coming Christ,so you bring then to Jesus He will watch over them,yes they may go astray,but God can bring them back again,I speak from experience. Cover them with your prayers,and your love, for love never fails.

Lost causes. ( Mark 5 v 1 - 20 )

I heard this recently,''I don't believe in lost causes, I believe in lost souls'', I am sure we all know of someone whom you have looked at, and you have thought that there was no hope for them.You may have  helped them many times,but nothing has changed,you may have stopped praying for them,or  you  may  be still praying for them, but not with much hope,humanly speaking they are a lost cause, they will never change. There are plenty examples of lost causes in the Bible,I want to point you to two people,one in the OT ,and the other in the NT, The first was King Manasseh one of the most wicked kings in Israels history ,he had a godly father King Hezekiah,but of course godliness is not transferable .CP Kings 21/ 2 Chronicles 33.Thankully God does not give up on lost causes ,and He dealt with him severely,,with the result  he sought the Lord,humbling himself,and God forgive him,he was lost but now he was found.The next person was a man no one could tame,we read about him in Mark 5 ,possessed by demons,people tried to help him, but to no avail.He was to all intent a lost cause,but Jesus came and set this lost cause free,and it showed,for we read of him being dressed and in his right mind'. He was lost but was now found by Jesus the one who came to seek and to save that which was lost.

                                              No one is too far gone that Jesus cannot save them.

Lukewarm ( Revelation 3 v14 - 22 )

 In the book of Revelation,there are seven churches mentioned,  chapters 2 - 3,  the Lord speaks to each of them. I like us to consider one of them, Laodicea, this church stands as a challenge to the prosperity movement,because on one level they had everything,on another they had nothing. Our Lord does not commend them in anyway, all He sees is a church that had lost its way.The cry of the church was,'I am rich',our Lord answers ,''But you do not realise that you are wretched,pitiful; blind and naked'.Their prosperity had blinded them of true spiritual values, that's always a danger with prosperity.It is instructive how the Lord  in highlighting the things that Laodicea were known for,and how He applies spiritual truths to them .The eye ointment,the manufacturing of cloth,a spring of water,that if one drank it ,it would cause one to vomit.This is how our Lord sums up the church.,'you are lukewarm,neither hot nor cold'. Lukewarm is a very interesting word, here is some of its meaning,'showing little enthusiasm, halfhearted, uninterested, couldn't care less. No wonder the Lord says,'' I will vomit you out of my mouth'',the seriousness of  their situation is found in 3 v 20,where it appears that the Lord is shut out of the church, He is depicted as one standing at a door,knocking ,asking to be let in.He declares to them that He will deal with them v 19,  v22  this is a plea for them to listen to what He is saying to them, or else.

                                                    The dearest idol I have known,

                                                    Whate'er that idol be,

                                                    Help me to tear it from Thy throne

                                                    And worship only Thee.

                                                        Words William Cowper.

God's ultimate purpose. ( Philippians 2 v 12 -13)

 What is the ultimate purpose for God's children? ,as we look back we could say a number of things,to save us  from judgement,that we may not go to Hell ,and that we may go to heaven.We could mention a number of other things,but the ultimate  purpose is that we who are His children may be conformed to the image of His Son.Romans 8 v 29. It is not an instant thing,it is a process, it comes under the term of sanctification. Sanctification means we are  called to be holy separating  ourselves from all that is evil, all that is sinful,it cannot be done in our own in our strength, the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in this process.That aspect of holiness is not something we receive it is something we do. again let me stress as Vine puts it ,the Holy Spirit is the Agent in our sanctification. Lets add that sanctification does not make us a Christian, we become a Christian by faith in Christ and His finished work,when we do that ,we are Justified,Romans 5 v1,that means we are no longer guilty,on the cross Christ bore our guilt, and punishment. That means we are totally accepted by God,in the words of a hymn,'Near,near I cannot be,for in the person of His Son I'm just as near as He'. Spurgeon put it like this,'Those for whom Christ has died,were perfected by His death. It  does not mean that He made them perfect in character, so that they are no longer sinners, but that He made those for whom He died, perfectly free from the guilt of sin. Jeremiah 31 v34/ Hebrews 10 v 1 - 10.

He knows. ( 2 Corinthians 4 v 7 - 18 )

 I was looking for something, and couldn't find it,and I found myself saying,''God you can see it,I can't'', so it set me of thinking.Consider how often we look at life, and we cannot see the why into certain events ,be they personal,or to do with events outside ourselves.Why? ,is something that hunts all of us at some time or other, faced with a sudden bereavement,a break up of a marriage,the present battle against the virus that we all are trying to avoid. I can't see the why in it all, but God can,yes He most surly can, so does that leaves us in the dark ?.When we declare that God is sovereign,it is a statement of faith,and of course all men have not faith. As Christians we are not fatalist ,we are called to act in a responsible manner , God can aid and help us,through difficult situations.When things happen that we can do nothing about,then we are called to exercised trust in a our sovereign God . This is a very positive thing to do,it is not thing of despair, the apostle Paul wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit,'that all things are working together for  the good of God's children. ,Romans 8 v28. That rules out fatalism that statement of despair,and  points us to the path of faith, Remember we are on a journey ,not a road that leads to nowhere , as Proverbs  4 v18 reads,'The path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto that perfect day'.

Kindness. ( John 3 v16 )

 Titus 3 v  4, reads ,' But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward men appeared'.v3 Expresses mankind's sinfulness,it is not complementary ,it describes us as being foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.It is a sad commentary on humanities state,and God does not lie,why did God  come into into such a world in the person of His son Jesus?.The answer is very simple,because He is kind and loving.,and we could add to that,He is merciful, and forgiving..Many people see God as an Ogre,not at all friendly,yet if we read the Gospels, we see Jesus showing tremendous kindness,by healing multitudes of people,feeding the hungry,and raising the dead.We read that He went about doing good Acts 10 v 38,yes He was very kind, reflecting in all He did the kindness of God.And yet that same Lord Jesus spoke often of judgement ,of a place called hell Matthew 10 v 2/23 v 15/ 24 v 51.25 v 41/46 Luke 13 v 28..Judgement is coming, Jesus made that very clear. and there will be no exceptions Hebrews 9 v27. It didn't  give any  joy for Christ to have tell people about judgement, likewise it has never given me any joy,to mention hell. But the greatest kindness I can do,is to warn people of that reality,one  way one can look at it,its like sounding  the alarm  to resident in their home, that it was on fire,I may even get a medal for doing it. People need to be told as regards judgement ,that is coming,and point to the only one ,who can save them, Jesus.

We are different ( 5 v 9 )

 I was talking to my 6yr old grandson,I was explaining to him that we are all different,I am not the same as his uncle,or his dad,I am  77 , I will not do what they do with him.I have not the energy that they have but I still love him.When God made us he made us all different,we are  not clones, even twins are different,like snowflakes everyone of us is different. Here is a very important thing, Christ church is made up of people who are different. and the important think is we are not  meant to make that difference a problem.Jesus said that those who are truly His ,must love and except one another.It seems to me that conformity is not the order of the day, though some people would like to change that,it can't be done.In the temple court yard of the temple in Jerusalem  there where partitions,there was a court for women, a court for the Gentiles, a court for Israel( for men)and a court for the Priests .With the coming in of the new covenant,all that changed, the temple became obsolete, a new temple came into place the people of God ,Ephesians 2 v 21- 22/  1Perter 2 v 4-5. All things pertaining to the temple likewise became obsolete, that  includes the different partitions. There is no more barriers that separate us,the moment we trust Christ ,we are no longer Gentiles,Jews,all those distinctions are gone forever.We are now the new Israel,if we belong to Christ we are Abraham's seed, Galatians 3 v 28- 29. as Gentiles we are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people. Ephesians 2 v 19. Let us rejoice in our differences ,and our oneness in Christ,and to strive always for the unity of  His church.

Ignorance is bliss. ( Acts 1 v 8 )

Is ignorance bliss?, I am sure its true sometimes. but it cant be absolute,there are so many things we need to  know .If a tornado is coming ,its good to listen to the warnings,and try and get to a place of safety. I'm sure many have said when they have got into difficulties , why didn't someone warn me, unfortunately  there are those who don't want  to listen,so they pay the price of their folly. When I go to buy another car, I try to find out as much as I can  about the car I may be purchasing. Sometimes I try to talk to people about God,about after death,and they don't want to know, could be fear,or they are not just interested. One could say well let them die in their ignorance, but I realise the result of  that ignorance has dire consequences. To die without Christ leaves one facing a dreadful destiny as opposed, to knowing Christ,which leads to a wonderful destiny.The great missionary movement in the 18th century was a movement raised up by God, many thousand of people ,men and women felt the call of God to go into all the world and preach the gospel.Things have not changed,it will never change,people need to hear the gospel  of our Lord Jesus Christ, if they die in their ignorance they will go to a lost eternity,they will never be forgiven,or set free ,they really need to hear about Jesus,will you go and tell them ?. Lucy A. Bennett wrote the following words,'Teach me the value of a soul'.

                                            

                                        

/

Are you burdened?. ( Colossians 1 v 13 - 14 )

 The expression,'' To carry the weight of the world on one's shoulder'', comes from  Greek mythology,and one of their gods called Atlas,who it is said, carried the world on his shoulders.It is an expression we use for someone loaded down with care. Life can bring many troubles to us,and they weigh us down. I have an illustrated version of ,'Pilgrims Progress',written John Bunyan who lived in the  17th century, he was a Christian . The book is about a fictitious mans spiritual experience ,it starts with the man reading a book, and on his back was a massive burden,and as he read the book,he wept and trembled ; and he broke out in lamentable crying,saying what must I do be saved?.He realised that destruction was coming,and both he and his wife,and their four sons would perish.unless some way of escape could be found.That massive burden on His back was his sin,the book he reading ,was the ,'Word of God',which as he read, the Holy Spirit brought conviction , and concern of God's coming judgement upon him and his family. This may be the 21st century ,but nothing has changed, sin is still sin, God is still going to Judge mankind for their sin,and the greatest need we have is to be saved, What must one do to be saved?,and the answer is very simple, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,and you shall be saved.William Hendriksen writes the following,'To be saved means,to be emancipated from the greatest evil;  the guilt , pollution,power, and punishment of sin; and to be placed in possession of the greatest good'. 

Mercies. ( Matthew 5 v 3 -12 )

One of the things I would encourage myself and fellow Christians to do,is to always look for mercies in times of difficulties.One of the greatest examples of that is the prophet Jeremiah, we read about it in the book of Lamentations, for Israel it was truly the worst of  times. Babylon had conquered Judah,, many had perished,and many were taken into captivity in Babylon,read about it in Jeremiah 52. Jeremiah had survived, and as he surveyed the devastation ,he said,''Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed'' Lamentations 3 v 22.By sparing some of the inhabitants ,God had shown mercy,because the sins  of the people was so great ,they deserved to be wiped out.Look for the mercies in life and give thanks.I listened to a man who had been robbed, to say the least that's a bad experience,yet he mentioned a number of mercies,  ( 1)That it was not someone else, ( 2)That  they had only taken money . (3 ) That he was not murdered.He mentioned a number of other things I can't remember.I was out and about,it was cold and wet,but I thought I will be soon be back in a nice warm home. It is easy to focus on the difficulties but it is better to focus on God's mercies,they are always there if one stops and thinks. The word of God says,' Rejoice always, pray continually ,give thanks in all circumstances , for this is God's will for you in Christ'.  ( 1 Thessalonians 5 v 18- 19)  You may be experiencing trials,difficulties,and opposition, remember the greatest mercy you possess is Christ, because of Him your past was blest, because of Him your present is blest, and because of Him your future will be blest.

Scary times. ( Psalm 91 )

 My wife recently visited London,we don't live to far from London,and she was very upset because there where a lot of people,who didn't appear,to be taking any precautions,to her it all appeared scary.Even apart the times we live in, things can be unnerving. Many people in the world live in places of danger ,there are  wars going on,yes there is conflict in many places.Europe is inundated by people seeking a place of refuge,who can blame them.The history of humanity is a violent history,the world is a violent place,violence against women is awful. Travelling by car can be pretty scary,so much traffic, we could go on pointing to the dangers in this world. As I look back on my 77yrs I can trace God's providential care on my life,that doesn't mean I haven't experience problems and difficulties,I have,but God has graciously preserved my life,we are told in Psalm 31 v 15 ,'our times are in His hands',whose better.He will continue to look after  His children,and we will not die before His time,that does not mean to say we act irresponsible.Don't let fear take over your life,it can so easily do that, have faith in your God,to care for you,watch over you, .Focus on His reassuring word ,not on the news,not on the scary things of life.

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Shadow land. (Colossians 2 v 16 - 23 )

 I read something recently about those who work in the sewers in Pakistan, many are Christians,it is high risk,dirty and low paid. It is dangerous because of the deadly toxic fumes,in this particular case the workers were sent down without any protective equipment,and number of them died. The emergency services refused to help because touching the Christians would make them ritually unclean.When our Saviour walked on earth He was continually condemned for healing people on the sabbath ,He challenged their loveless and godless legalism.Years ago I heard a report of a fire in a girls school in an Islamic country,the emergency services,would not rescue them because they were not wearing the right clothes,that a Muslin person was suppose to wear. The gospel is good news,our Saviour continually challenged  legalism, legalism is an attempt by man to win God's favour. This will take priority over love,replaced by a harsh loveless attitude to those who do not conform,such an attitude can become cruel and wicked,and was condemned by our Saviour. Matthew 23 v 1 - 4. The word of God teaches that the God of mercy, would have us to be merciful, kind ,loving and forgiven,and not to judge people as to what they eat,wear,or the keeping off so called sacred days. All those things are but shadows, spiritual reality cannot be found in them, it is Dick Lucas who writes,' There is no need to return to 'shadow land' to find reality; for in Christ, at last and finally,the substance has come'.

The missing piece in this jigsaw.. (Psalm 5 v 15 )

 Is  God  the missing piece of the jigsaw?,daily we listen to the politicians ,scientists,and news reports as regards the pandemic,but we don't hear God mentioned. That makes me very sad, surly He should be mentioned,dare I say the following , the sovereign God,is over all things even this pandemic, and I believe He has sent it upon this world,  If He has sent it ,the question is why?, it is a very good question, why?, could it be He is topping us on the shoulder,could be He wants to remind us of His presence,and of our need of Him.Is it not time that we listened to Him.Someone said ,I  rejoiced in my pleasures,but I prayed in my difficulties. I believe many people are praying.We who are Christians can make a difference in these dark days,how? ,in Numbers 16 ,God judged Israel by sending a  plague, but Moses told Aaron to offer up incense and coal from of the altar,he then ran into the midst of the people. We read that he stood between the living and the dead ,and the plague stopped.. Now we haven't incense, or coals from an altar,but we have the ear of God,we can pray beseeching our great and mighty God to stop this plague. the word beseech means to plead,to beg,to entreat, my mind turns to Elijah ,a person just  like what we are,who prayed earnestly and God answered, and a miracle happened .James 5 v 17 - 18.

It is a cert. ( Job 23 v10 )

 I don't personally gamble, but I've often heard people say its a cert,'put your shirt on it',but of course ,the fact of the matter is,it may not win.The best team don't always win ,sometimes the underdog wins,you would never have thought  David would have beaten Goliath.The greatest sportsperson can be defeated,the greatest footballer can miss the easiest of chances,the greatest cricketer can be put out for a duck,the great golfer can miss the easiest of puts.Yes there are no certainties in life, the word of God tells us we don't know what a day will bring forth ,Proverbs 27 v 1 .The fact is only God knows,in Jeremiah 10 v 23, we read, 'I know that the way of man is not in himself,that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps'.Jeremiah lived in very uncertain times,and so as Matthew Henry writes, 'The prophet here acknowledges the sovereignty and dominion of the divine Providence'.Often it takes profound situations to make us realise how limited we are,and that apart from God we know very little.If we bring God into our lives we do not need to know,all we need to do,' is to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not upon our own understanding ;in all our ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths' Proverbs 3 v 5- 6 .We will find out that the only certainties are God's certainties.

Life is.... ( Ephesians 6 - 10 - 20 )

 Life is a battle,especially if you are a Christian, you cannot go with the flow,run with the crowd,no we are those who are called to be holy,and that means a battle.That means doing the will of God,consider what that meant to Christ,it means standing for truth,it means bring a witness for our Saviour. So you see it is a battle,it involves the world,the flesh,and the devil.In 2 Timothy 6 v 12, we read,'Fight the good fight of faith'. Consider the idea of fighting,most of us do not want fight, as John Stott writes,' Fighting is an unpleasant business,undignified, bloody,painful. and dangerous'.But for we who are Christians we must do it,even if we get a blooded nose. We are reminded that it is a good fight ,so many people fight for evil causes,not us everything we are fighting for is good, and the one we are fighting for is good, even Jesus our precious Saviour, everything about Him is good,everything He did was good.Next we see it is a fight of faith, yes faith in our God to aid us and help us,by His  grace.Lastly ,'For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does,The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world( 2Corinthians 10 v 3- 4)Peter had to learn that lesson in the garden ,when he drew a sword and cut of a persons ear,and Jesus told him to to put  away the sword'. ( Matt 26 v 51 - 52 ) So don't be surprised if you are in battle at this time,it is part and parcel of being a Christian.

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Broken hearts ( Matthew 11 v 28 )

A song I was listening to had the following lines in it,'So easy to break a heart', the fact is there are hearts being broken every day,one hears on the news of murders, how dreadful for the loved ones effected by such an ordeal,their hearts must be broken.Or when marriages break up,when the husband comes in and says,''I don't love you anymore, I have found someone else'', or when wives do the same.Broken hearts follow and usually broken for a life time,it is all very sad.It is so easy for hearts to be broken, so difficult for hearts to mend.  The effects can be serious,here are some examples,mental health,a withdrawing into a shell,isolating oneself.People as it were make a vow never to get involved with anyone else,a root of bitterness develops,even hatred towards that person that has hurt them.To not go back to church because one was hurt,after all you shouldn't be hurt by Christians,and so we could go on,and so the brokenness goes on. and it is so hard to live with a broken heart,whatever the reason, I want to leave a word of hope to you if you are broken hearted, there is one that can help,When Jesus walked and ministered to people, he healed every disease,  think about that,every disease,and I believe He can heal your broken heart,nothing can change what had happen to you,but He can change you, and heal your broken heart.

                                                        Psalm 147 v3.

                                             He heals the broken heart.

My forever friend. ( John 15 v15 )

I have purchased a lovely illustrated copy of one of my favourite books,'Wind in the willows', written by Kenneth Graham,a book about animals,Ratty, Mole,Badger,and Toad.I have read this book a number of times,and I am looking  forward to reading it again. One of the things I like about it is the friendship the animals have,they are very loyal and faithful.Toad of Toad Hall,the wealthy toad is always trying something new,until he gets tired of it,and it gets him into a lot of trouble.But his friends try to stop him from wasting his money on the next fad,but unfortunately not with much success. Friends  are important if you have one good friend that's good,Friendship is a two way thing,sometimes we forget that. Friendship needs to be maintained, I had a particular friend ,we communicated through the web, but suddenly it just stopped,no contact. that was that. My best friend is Jesus even though He is my Saviour ,my Lord,he is my friend, indeed the best friend I have ,He is loyal,faithful, and kind. Yet I know it is important that I maintain that friendship,by meeting with Him, and never take Him for granted,and seek not to offend Him in any way,and of course as I said He is my Lord,so I must obey Him at all times.He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me,He will not just cut me off.There is so much I could say about Him, and its all positive,yes He is my forever friend,and He can be yours to,if you ask Him to be your Saviour.

Vengeance ( Romans 12 v 19 - 21)

 Alexander Dumas wrote a very popular book called ,'The Count of Monte Cristo', it is about a young man called Edmond Dantes, who was wrongfully imprisoned for life. During his time in prison he makes friends with a man called Abbe Faria  a priest ,who had a treasure map, which he gives to Edmond .Edmond manages to escape,and eventually, finds the treasure,and becomes fabulously rich . With this wealth he reinvents himself and becomes known as the Count of  Monte Cristo, he then sets out to get revenge on those who had sent him to prison, which he does ,ruining them. When in power Stalin murdered many people who had done him wrong,he took a particular pleasure in the way he did it. Now contrast that with Joseph ( Gen 37 - 50 ),who suffered dreadfully at the hands of his brothers, sold as slave,accused unjustly of a crime he didn't commit ,and then jailed. In Gods time released and appointed to be a ruler in Egypt, and in that position he could have taken vengeance on them he didn't,in fact he cared for them,and reassured them he would look after them,it took grace to forgive his brothers,and not to take vengeance on them

A new year. ( 8 v 31 - 39 )

 2021 is gone for good it is just a memory,the future all unknown,looking back,what did we have?,two major things hunted us daily ,Covid and climate change.There are many other things we could mention,so what does 2022 hold for us,when I say us ,I mean those of us who are Christians?.Well here is a word for us all,it is found in Deuteronomy 31 v 8.

                                    The Lord himself  goes before you and will be with you;

                                    he will never leave you nor forsake you.

                                    Do not be afraid,do not be discouraged.

Consider,God will lead you Himself, he will make the crooked places straight, and the rough places smooth.look into your future,what do you see?. I will tell you, God going before you,and God with you.

Next. The nature of life can appear so uncertain, you look around and ask where are my friends,you feel suddenly, alone,it is not a nice feeling,don't let your heart be troubled,God says to you I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Next. Are you fearful as regards the future? ,hear what God is saying to you,yes you,''Do not be afraid''.I will look after you,I will care for you.Are you discouraged?yes, there is much that can discourage us,but our loving God says,''don't be discouraged'' take away the first three letters of that word and the last letter ,what do you read,courage.yes have courage, whatever you are facing now or in the future remember if God be for you,who can be against you?

The devil.( 2 ) (Deuteronomy 6 v 16)

 We digressed a little on my last message but it was important to stress the  vital importance of the truth that Christ was truly God and truly man,hold fast to that truth.So lets continue looking at that occasion when the devil tempted our Lord to cast Himself down from the highest point of the temple.He even quoted scripture,but our Lord didn't obey him, and told why he would not do it,He also quoted scripture, Deut 6 v 16,which reads,'Do not put the Lord your God to the test'.Let me mention  some examples of people putting God to the test. A man wore a blindfold and walked across a busy road,he believed he would be kept safe by God,he wasn't he got knocked down.Another case of a man who got into the lions enclosure with  a bible in his hand,shouting out,''if Daniel was kept safe by God in the lions den, he can keep me safe'', He didn't and the man was mauled by the lions.There are people who are not taken precaution at this time, not waring a mask, not getting vaccinated,they believe God will keep them safe,he won't, we must act in a responsible way at all times,if there is a means of preventing us from catching the virus then we must use it, to do otherwise is doing the very thing our Saviour said we shouldn't do,'putting God to the test'.

Out with old ,in with the new. ( Hebrews 10 v 1 - 10 )

The coming of Christ was clearly  foretold in what we call the.' Old Testament',we can call them the scriptures of the Old Covenant,likewise the New Testament are the scriptures of the New Covenant.The Israel of the Old Covenant lived under the laws of that covenant.The New Covenant was foretold in Jeremiah 31 v 31 - 34, Alexander Cruden writes the following,'The New Covenant is the spiritual covenant of God in Christ with his followers'.Christs coming and what he was do on the cross would usher in the New Covenant,replacing the Old Covenant. That means we no longer live under the food laws,clothing laws,or the law of tithing.As regards the food laws they included not just the pig ,but the camel,rabbit ,shell fish and other creatures. All those laws are gone,we can eat what we want,wear what we want,as regards giving ,we give as God has prospered us.1 Corinthians 16 v 2. Now of course we are  called to be Holy,that is vital ,but always bear in mind that we are never saved by keeping laws and regulations. The Christian religion is one of grace,and let me add mercy,the only merits that save us,are the merits of  Jesus and his death on the cross.To come into that wonderful New Covenant  blessing, we must put our faith in Jesus and His finished work. John 19 v 29 - 3

                                           Free from the law,oh happy condition

                                           Jesus has bled, and I have remission,

                                           Cursed by the law, and bruised by the fall,

                                           Christ hath redeemed us once for all.

                                                      

                                                     Words by Philip Bliss.